NEW AND IMPROVED

This blog is now sugar FREE, fat FREE, gluten FREE, all ORGANIC and all NATURAL!!

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

EVEN MORE ORIGINS OF SAYINGS


EVEN MORE ORIGINS OF SAYINGS
In case yesterday's re-run wasn't enough
 

Those strange sayings, we use them all the time, but where do they come from?  Strange but true, here are the origins of common phrases we use every day:

 

Break a leg

Meaning: Wish an actor good luck. 

Origin: To bend or break one’s leg was an archaic phrase for taking a bow.  In the theater a successful performance means taking a curtain call bow, so “Break a leg” is to wish an actor a successful performance.

 

A stitch in time saves nine

Meaning: A little precaution saves time in the long run. 

Origin: To stitch a hem before it unravels will save many more stitches in the future.  This phrase makes very little sense to Germans.

 

He’s an Old Fogey  

Meaning: He’s a doddering idiot. 

Origin: The Fogey’s were a clan in County Limerick that succumbed to dementia.  When a person could not remember something he was dismissed as just an “Old Fogey.”

 

Get outta the fucking car

Meaning: Police jargon for “Sir, please exit your vehicle.” 

Origin: First used when Rodney King did not understand “Please,” “Exit,” or “Vehicle.”

 

There’s plenty of fish in the sea

Meaning: There are more women available after a man loses a girlfriend.

Origin: When a fisherman loses a catch he dismisses his loss with the assurance that there are plenty of fish in the sea.  The expression extended to losing a lady friend.  What they neglect to consider is many of the fish in the sea are butt ugly, some will bite your arm off, and some will take half of your 401K.

 

Two wrongs don’t make a right*

Meaning: Retaliation of a wrong doing will not make things better. 

Origin: In 1880, two Chinese inventors attempted to develop the incandescent bulb.  Chi Long and Chow Long failed and finally gave up on the dream.  Americans mis-interpreted a Japanese statement of this fact as a philosophical saying.  

 

Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear

Meaning: Don’t trust your passenger side car mirror.

Origin: Henry Ford, after a few beers, said to the guy on the next stool, “They liked my assembly line idea, now I’m going to fuck with them!”

 

Are you pulling my leg?

Meaning: I think you are trying to fool me. 

Origin: In medieval times, old men would ask children to pull on their leg and they would then fart.  When a story seemed to “smell funny” someone would call it’s veracity in question by asking “are you pulling my leg?”

 

I before E except after C or sounds like ay…

Meaning: A spelling rule. 

Origin: There used to be only three “ie” words in the English language, believe, receive, and neighbor.  This rule is currently useless.

GO USA!  I believe...I believe that we will win!
*This one is for you Frog. 

14 comments:

  1. "*This one is for you Frog."

    Is that Flog in Japanese?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm learning so many things here. I'm not sure they will assist me with anything of importance but I'm loading up the gray matter.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think you are pulling our legs. :-)

    Pearl

    ReplyDelete
  4. Last time I wondered, Pearl. This time I know.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I believe pearl is right my friend. At least on part if these. Makes for a heck of a good read though

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love it! I'm scratching my head trying to think of more.

    ReplyDelete
  7. What I learned from this post is that the only difference between women and fish is that fish will only take half your 401K if you spend your life trying to catch them. Women will take it when you do catch them.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I learned the spelling rule from my kids.
    I thought that the fish were supposed to be men.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Pretty soon you're gonna find yourself behind the 8 ball

    ReplyDelete
  10. I will take your word for it. You haven't steered me wrong yet.

    ReplyDelete
  11. American spelling rules are weird. Let me seize the opportunity and talk about foreign, caffeine, feisty, their, and vein.

    Oh, that's right...you did say it was a useless rule.

    ReplyDelete
  12. "A stitch in time saves nine"
    why wouldn't this make sense to Germans?
    I'm German born and have always mended things before major repairs became necessary. Learned that from my German parents.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is apparently a failed play on words with nein in German meaning no or nothing.

      Delete